Amazon Echo - Alexa-Enabled

312 reviews • $180

Amazon Echo is designed around your voice. It's always on—just ask for information, music, news, weather, and more. Echo begins working as soon as it detects the wake word. You can pick Alexa or Amazon as your wake word. Echo is also an expertly tuned speaker that can fill any room with immersive sound.

Echo connects to Alexa, a cloud-based voice service, to provide information, answer questions, play music, read the news, check sports scores or the weather, and more—instantly. All you have to do is ask. Echo begins working as soon as it detects the wake word. You can pick Alexa or Amazon as your wake word.

Use Echo to switch on the lamp before getting out of bed, turn on the fan or space heater while reading in your favorite chair, or dim the lights from the couch to watch a movie—all without lifting a finger...or even raising your voice.

Echo works with devices such as lights and switches from WeMo, Philips Hue, SmartThings, Insteon, and Wink. Starter kits are available for easy setup.

Q1: Does the Amazon Echo require a monthly service fee?

No, the Amazon Echo requires no monthly service fee, but it is important to note that when you register your Amazon Echo for the first time, you will get 1 free month of Amazon Prime, which includes Amazon Prime Music (the default Amazon Echo Music Service).

If you would still like to have access to Amazon Prime Music after your free trial, you will have to become an Amazon Prime Member, which costs USD 99 per year.

There are alternative music sources you can connect with your Amazon Echo, which we will still be detailing on SmartHomeDB. Please create a SmartHomeDB account via www.smarthomedb.com/signup to stay up to date with regards to all the latest smart home developments.

Important notes:

+ You must have an Amazon.com account, a U.S. billing address, and a payment method issued by a U.S. bank to access Prime Music.

+ Prime Music is included with annual Prime memberships, 30-day Amazon Prime free trials, annual Amazon Mom memberships, 30-day Amazon Mom free trials, and annual Amazon Student memberships. It is not included during the free trial period for Amazon Student memberships, or for invited household members on a shared Prime account.

Q49: Can I adjust / change the time zone on my Amazon Echo?

The Amazon Echo currently (as of Thu, Sep 17, 2015)only supports time zones covered by US Zip Codes. This means that for now you will be allocated a wrong / incorrect time zone on your Amazon Echo if your time zone is not covered by a US Zip Code, which is definitely the case for users in Europe and Asia.

The above impacts asking for the time (without mentioning your city), compatibility with your calendar and setting an alarm (specifying a time) on your Amazon Echo when you are outside the United States.

Q50: Is Amazon Prime Music for the Amazon Echo Free?

No.

When you register your Amazon Echo for the first time, you will get 1 free month of Amazon Prime, which includes Amazon Prime Music.

If you would still like to have access to Amazon Prime Music after your free trial, you will have to become an Amazon Prime Member, which costs USD 99 per year.

Important notes:

+ You must have an Amazon.com account, a U.S. billing address, and a payment method issued by a U.S. bank to access Prime Music.

+ Prime Music is included with annual Prime memberships, 30-day Amazon Prime free trials, annual Amazon Mom memberships, 30-day Amazon Mom free trials, and annual Amazon Student memberships. It is not included during the free trial period for Amazon Student memberships, or for invited household members on a shared Prime account.

Q51: Does the Amazon Echo work outside the US?

Yes, but there are several important issues you have to take into account.

The Amazon Echo currently (as of Thu, Sep 17, 2015) only supports time zones covered by US Zip Codes. This means that for now you will be allocated a wrong / incorrect time zone on your Amazon Echo if your time zone is not covered by a US Zip Code, which is definitely the case for users in Europe and Asia.

The above impacts asking for the time (without mentioning your city), compatibility with your calendar and setting an alarm (specifying a time) on your Amazon Echo when you are outside the United States.

US ZIP Codes / Locations Only

This impacts local weather, news and traffic requests. Instead of asking: "Alexa, what is the weather like outside?", you will have to ask "Alexa, what is the weather like in Singapore?"

Q52: Can I turn off / mute the Amazon Echo microphone?

Yes, you can turn / mute Amazon Echo's microphone off by pushing the microphone on/off button on the top of your Amazon Echo.

When the light ring around the top of Amazon Echo turns red, the microphone is off.

Amazon Echo will not respond to the wake word, nor will it respond to the action button, until you reactivate the microphone by pushing the microphone on/off button again.